Bubble wand

ABSTRACT

An exemplary bubble wand that facilitates creation of soap bubbles includes a plurality of elongate members each having a rotatable connector attached at an end tip of each elongate member and a string forming a loop and connected to each of the plurality of rotatable connectors, wherein the string is capable of rotating with the rotatable connector relative to the elongate member.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/940,210 filed Feb. 14, 2014, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND

Soap bubbles are one of the most enjoyable forms of entertainment forchildren of all ages. However, current products for making large soapbubbles are unsatisfactory at least because they cannot make largebubbles repeatedly and consistently without great difficulty for theuser and without quickly degrading the quality of the products used tomake the soap bubbles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments and are a partof the specification. The illustrated embodiments are merely examplesand do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Throughout the drawings,identical or similar reference numbers designate identical or similarelements.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary bubble wand according to principlesdescribed herein.

FIG. 2A depicts an exemplary configuration of a portion of a bubble wandaccording to principles described herein.

FIG. 2B depicts an enlarged view of the circled portion of the bubblewand shown in FIG. 2A according to principles described herein.

FIG. 3A depicts another perspective of the exemplary configuration ofthe portion of the bubble wand shown in FIG. 2A according to principlesdescribed herein.

FIG. 3B depicts an enlarged view of the circled portion of the bubblewand shown in FIG. 3A according to principles described herein.

FIG. 4 depicts another exemplary configuration of a portion of a bubblewand according to principles described herein.

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict other exemplary bubble wands according toprinciples described herein.

Together, the Figures illustrate specific aspects of the novel productsand methods described herein and constitute a part of the specification.Together with the following description, the Figures demonstrate andexplain the principles of the products and methods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary bubble wands and methods for using the bubble wands aredisclosed herein. As described further below, one or more of theexemplary bubble wands and methods disclosed herein may be used by auser to easily create bubbles of many different sizes to provide endlessfun for children of all ages. For example, one or more of the exemplarybubble wands and methods disclosed herein may allow a person to easilyand/or repeatedly create bubbles that range from a few inches to severalfeet in diameter and/or length with very little difficulty and with verylittle maintenance and troubleshooting of the bubble wands.

Components and functions of exemplary devices and methods will now bedescribed with reference to the drawings. The following detaileddescription includes specific details in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of exemplary bubble wands and methods for using the bubblewands. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a parthereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specificembodiments in which the bubble wands may be implemented. Theseembodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice the novel products and methods, and it is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the teachingsherein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to betaken in a limiting sense. Reference in the specification to “oneembodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase“in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

FIG. 1 illustrates components of an exemplary wand 100 in oneembodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, wand 100 may include elongate members102 (first elongate member 102-1 and second elongate member 102-2),connectors 110 (first connector 110-1 attached to first elongate member102-1 and second connector 110-2 attached to second elongate member102-2), and string 120 connected to connectors 110. Wand 100 may beconfigured to allow a user to collect a soap solution on string 120 andthen extend first elongate member 102-1 and second elongate member 102-2away from one another to form loop 122 with a soap film disposed insideloop 122. The user may then introduce an air stream to loop 122, such asby blowing or running with wand 100, to form a bubble from the soap filminside loop 122.

Elongate member 102 may be a solid rod or hollow tube, and may includehandle portion 104 and end portion 106. Handle portion 104 may beprovided near an end of elongate member 102 and is configured tofacilitate gripping elongate member 102 by a user. For example, as shownin FIGS. 2A and 3A, handle portion 104 may include one or more grooves,finger notches, ridges, and/or other shapes or profiles configured tofacilitate gripping elongate member 102 with a hand. Additionally oroptionally, handle portion 104 may be formed of a material configured tofacilitate gripping elongate member 102, such as a non-slip or highfriction rubber, plastic, and the like. The shape of handle portion 104may also be configured to facilitate gripping elongate member 102, andthus may be substantially cylindrical, or may include a circular portionor handle for gripping. End portion 106 extends from handle portion 104and provides sufficient length for string 120 to open up into loop 122without interference or obstruction by the user's body or other objectsthat may be nearby. End portion 106 may be any shape, such ascylindrical, rectangular, and the like, and may have any decorative orfunctional profile.

Referring again to FIG. 1, elongate member 102 may be of any lengthsuitable for use by children and/or adults. For example, elongate member102 may range from about sixteen inches (16″) to about twenty-fourinches (24″), but the length of elongate member is not limited to thesedimensions, and may be formed in any length as desired. Elongate member102 may be formed of any durable material, and may include any type ofwood, steel, brass, composite, or plastic, such as but not limited torubber, silicone, nylon, acrylic resin, polyethylene, polypropylene,polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, vinyl,polyvinyl chloride, and bakelite. In one exemplary embodiment, elongatemember 102 is formed of or coated with acrylic resin, which is resistantto corrosion from various soap solutions that may be in frequent contactwith elongate member 102. End tip 108 is provided at an end of elongatemember 102, and may provide a surface and/or structure to whichconnector 110 is attached.

In some embodiments, elongate member may be formed of two or moreremovable sections that can be separated or removed from one another forease in storing and reduced shelf space, shipping, packaging, or evenhandling by small children. For example, a first section, such as handleportion 104, may be configured to be removed from end portion 106, andboth portions can also be reattached when the wand 100 is to be used.The removable sections can be attached and/or removed by any suitablemeans. In some examples, the removable sections include a threadedconnection (e.g., a threaded male connector on handle portion 104 thatconnects into to a threaded female connection on end portion 106). Inother examples, the removable sections can be connected by a snapconnection or a hinged connection. Additionally or alternatively,elongate member 102 can be extendable so that each section can be addedto by another section. In this manner, there is no limit to the size ofwand 100 that a user can build. Thus, in combination with modifying thesize of string 120 used in wand 100, a user can make the wand 100 anysize and, as a result, make any size of bubbles that the user desires.

Connector 110 may be attached to end tip 108 of elongate member 102.Alternatively, connector 110 may be attached beneath end tip 108 to endportion 106 of elongate member 102. Regardless of the location ofattachment of connector 110 to elongate member 102, connector 110, or aportion of connector 110, may be configured to rotate or swivel relativeto elongate member 102. In one embodiment, connector 110 may rotateabout an axis that is parallel to an extension direction of elongatemember 102. In another embodiment, connector 110 may rotate inthree-dimensions around end tip 108 or end portion 106, as will bedescribed below in more detail. String 120 may be connected to connector110 in a manner that allows string 120 to rotate with connector 110 whenconnector 110 rotates relative to elongate member 102. In this way,string 120 may be prevented from twisting and tangling when a usermanipulates elongate member 102 to create bubbles, whether with varioustwisting motions or by bringing first and second elongate member 102-1and 102-2 close together or pulling them apart. Connector 110, throughits rotation and swivel features, also prevents a string 120 that hasmultiple strands or fibers wound about each other from unraveling.

FIGS. 2A-3B illustrate an exemplary connector 110. Connector 110 mayinclude an eye hook 112 attached to end tip 108 of elongate member 102.Eye hook 112 may be, for example, an eye screw screwed into or otherwiseattached to end tip 108 of elongate member 102, or it may be a hook orother similar ring member formed integrally with elongate member 102.Eye hook 112 may be securely fastened to elongate member 102 such thateye hook moves or rotates with elongate member 102.

In one embodiment, eye hook 112 may be an eye screw attached to apolymeric elongate member 102 without splitting end portion 106 ofelongate member 102 by first pre-heating the eye screw and/or end tip108 prior to driving the eye screw into end tip 108. For example, theeye screw may be heated to about the melting point of the polymericmaterial of elongate member 102. Additionally or alternatively, a holemay be pre-drilled in end tip 108, into which the eye screw is driven.Additionally or alternatively, eye screw may be driven into a threadedhole provided at end tip 108.

Connector 110 may include rotatable member 114. At least one end (e.g.,end 118-1) of rotatable member 114 may be configured to swivel or rotaterelative to the other end (e.g., end 118-2) of rotatable member 114.Rotatable member 114 may be configured to rotate or swivel up to 360°.In this way, string 120, which is connected to one end 118-1 ofrotatable member 114, can rotate and twist with respect to elongatemember 102, which is connected to the other end 118-2 of rotatablemember 114. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, rotatablemember 114 may be a fishing swivel or other device that operates in asimilar manner.

Rotatable member 114 may be movably connected to eye hook 112 at theother end 118-2 of rotatable member 114. For example, rotatable member114 may include a hook or loop at the other end 118-2 that engages witheye hook 112. String 120 may be attached to one end 118-1 of rotatablemember 114. Optionally, a ring member 116 may be connected to one end118-1 of rotatable member 114 and to string 120 to provide a largeropening through which string 120 may be inserted or attached, thusfacilitating connection of string 120 to rotatable member 114 andfacilitating replacement of string 120 by a user.

Additionally or optionally, connector 110 may be removable from elongatemember 102, string 120, or both, thus allowing a user to easily replaceparts of wand 100 as necessary. For example, if elongate member 102breaks, a user may disconnect it from connector 110 and attach a newelongate member 102 to connector 110. Alternatively, if string 120 wearsout, frays, or breaks, a user may attach a new string 120 to connector110. In this regard, one or both ends of connector 110 may be configuredto open or close, or to snap to eye hook 112 or string 120. For example,connector 110 may include a lobster claw clasp at one or both ends.

In the wand 100, only one or both elongate members may have a rotatablemember 114 as described herein. For example, in some embodiments, wand100 may include elongate member 102-1 having a connector 110-1 withrotatable member 114, while elongate member 102-2 has a connector 110-2that does not include rotatable member 114. In such a configuration,ring member 116 may be attached to eye hook 112, or string 120 may bedirectly attached to eye hook 112. Additionally or alternatively, boththe connector 110-1, which can rotate, and connector 110-2, which isfixed, can be configured to be removed from eye hook 112, as describedbelow. However, because elongate member 102-1 includes connector 110-1having rotatable member 114, the string 120 may nevertheless beprevented from twisting, tangling, and unraveling. In other embodiments,both elongate member 102-1 and elongate member 102-2 of wand 100 mayhave connector 110 having rotatable member 114.

FIGS. 2A-3B represent exemplary embodiments of connector 110, butconnector 110 is not limited to these embodiments. Connector 110 may beany type of connection mechanism that is configured to rotate at oneend, whether about a fixed axis (such as an axis parallel to theextension direction of elongate member 102), or about many differentaxes. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, connector 110 may be a ballswivel connector 410, wherein a ball 412 is disposed inside a sphericalenclosure 414 provided at end tip 408 of elongate member 102. End tip408, including spherical enclosure 414, may be removable from elongatemember 102, such as by a snap-on or threaded connection, for ease inmanufacturing as well as replacement of parts. A connection arm 416protrudes from ball 412 through an opening 418 in end tip 408, andstring 120 may be connected to connection arm 416. Ball 412 is freelyrotatable within spherical enclosure 414, but may be limited in itsrange of motion by connection arm 416 and opening 418.

Referring again to FIGS. 2A-3B, string 120 may be movably connected toconnector 110, or it may be fixedly attached to connector 110. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 1, string 120 may be inserted through ringmember 116 such that string 120 may freely move through ring member 116.Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 2A-3B, string 120 may be fixedlyattached to ring member 116 by inserting one end of string 120 throughring member 116 and securing the end of string 120 to another portion ofstring 120, such as by clamping, sealing, or tying string 120. In thisway, string 120 cannot slide in and out of ring member 116.

As mentioned, wand 100 may be manipulated by a user to form loop 122from string 120. As shown in FIG. 1, loop 122 may include top loop leg124 extending between first connector 110-1 attached to first elongatemember 102-1 and second connector 110-2 attached to second elongatemember 102-2. First loop leg 126 may be attached at one end to firstconnector 110-1 and at the other end to second loop leg 128. Second loopleg 128 may be attached at one end to second connector 110-2 and at theother end to first loop leg 126. Top loop leg 124 may have a shorterlength than the combined length of first loop leg 126 and second loopleg 128, thus ensuring that top loop leg 124, first loop leg 126, andsecond loop leg 128 form a loop 122. Weight member 130, which will bedescribed below in more detail, may be disposed on first loop leg 126and/or second loop leg 128 so that, by gravity, weight member 130 pullsfirst loop leg 126 and second loop leg 128 away from top loop leg 124,to facilitate formation of loop 122.

First loop leg 126 and second loop leg 128 may be formed of a unitarystring 120, or may be separate strings 120. Additionally oralternatively, top loop leg 124 may be formed of the same string 120 asfirst loop leg 126 and/or second loop leg 128, or they may be separatestrings. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, top loop leg 124, first loopleg 126, and second loop leg 128 are comprised of the same string 120,with string 120 movably connected to first connector 110-1 and secondconnector 110-2. In this way, a user may manipulate wand 100 to create aloop 122 of different shapes and sizes, thus producing bubbles ofvarying shapes and sizes.

Alternatively, top loop leg 124 may be fixedly attached to first andsecond connectors 110, such as is shown in FIGS. 2A-3B. First loop leg126 and second loop leg 128 may be a second, different string fixedlyattached to first and second connectors 110 in a similar manner.Although the shape of loop 122 may vary depending on how far the userextends elongate members 102-1 and 102-2 from one another, top loop leg124 will have a consistent length each time wand 100 is used, as willfirst loop leg 126 and second loop leg 128.

Additionally, because connectors 110 may be removed from elongate member102 and or string 120, a user may swap out string 120 for another stringof a different length, color, or material. For example, a user canattach a long string 120 that has a length that requires two differentindividuals to handle elongate members 102. Similarly, a user can attacha short string 120 that can be used by a small child.

Additionally or alternatively, additional strings having lengthsdifferent than the upper and lower lengths of string 120 can be added tothe bubble wand. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, additional strings 520(e.g., strings 520-1 and 520-2) of varying lengths can be attached toconnectors 110-1 and 110-2 to create multiple loops (e.g., loops 522-1,522-2, and 522-3) between elongate members 102. Additional strings 520-1and 520-2 may include ring members, hooks, or other small loops at eachend that can quickly and easily attach to connectors 110-1 and 110-2.Additional strings 520-1 and 520-2 may also include weight members 530-1and 530-2, similar to weight member 130 on string 120, to aid in theformation of additional loops 522-1 and 522-2.

String 120 may be any type of yarn, string, ribbon, cord, rope, or otherflexible member, and may be formed of any material, such as a syntheticor natural fiber. In certain embodiments, string 102 is formed of a 100%cotton yarn. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, string 120 may beformed in a web or net configuration that forms multiple loops and,hence, allows a user to create multiple bubbles. For example, string 120may include cross-strings 620 (e.g., cross-strings 620-1, 620-2, 620-3,and 620-4) that connect to top loop leg 124, first loop leg 126, andsecond loop leg 28. With this configuration, string 120 forms multipleloops 622 (e.g., loops 622-1, 622-2, 622-3, 622-4, and 622-5), thusallowing a user to form many bubbles at the same time.

Referring again to FIG. 1, weight member 130 may be any member connectedto first loop leg 126 and/or second loop leg 128 and is configured topull them away from top loop leg 124 by gravity. Weight member 130 maymove freely about string 120, or it may be fixedly attached to string120. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, weight member 130 may be awasher or ring member through which string 120 is inserted, and which isfreely movable along string 120. Weight member 130 also helps preventthe string 120 from tangling, since it draws first loop leg 126 andsecond loop leg 128 away from top loop leg 124.

Weight member 130, connector 110, and eye hook 112 are preferably formedwith a corrosion resistant surface, since they frequently contact thesoap solution. For example, weight member 130, connector 110, and eyehook 112 may be formed of brass, stainless steel, or steel with a zinc-or nickel-plated surface.

Wand 100 may be used by a user to create large bubbles. To createbubbles, a user dips or places string 120 into a soap solution. The soapsolution may be provided in a bottle or a flat pan or basin. The userensures that substantially all of string 120 is dipped into the soapsolution. When the user removes string 120 from the soap solution, theuser may then open loop 122 by extending elongate members 102-1 and102-2 away from one another. A soap film is formed inside loop 122. Whenloop 122 has been formed to the desired size and/or shape, the user maythen introduce an air stream to loop 122. For example, a user may blowinto loop 122, may direct a fan or other source of air stream, may wavewand 100 through the air, or may run with wand 100 in the extendedstate. The air stream will then blow out one or more bubbles from loop122.

By using wand 100 in this manner, a user may repeatedly create largebubbles without compromising the integrity and quality of wand 100. Therotatable connectors 110 prevent string 120 from tangling andunraveling, thus prolonging the life of the string 120 and reducing theneed for a user to untangle string 120. As mentioned, the wand 100, andits associated components, may be formed of corrosion resistantmaterials, thus preventing the soap solution from degrading the wand100. As a result, the user can enjoy countless hours of fun withoutwasting time untangling and fixing inferior bubble products. Inaddition, the user can create bubbles larger than those available withcurrent products, thus providing a unique bubble experience.

In the preceding description, various exemplary embodiments have beendescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however,be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto,and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing fromthe scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. Forexample, certain features of one embodiment described herein may becombined with or substituted for features of another embodimentdescribed herein. The description and drawings are accordingly to beregarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bubble wand, comprising: a first elongatemember and a second elongate member; a first connector attached to thefirst elongate member and a second connector attached to the secondelongate member; and one or more strings attached to the first connectorand the second connector and forming a loop; wherein the first connectorincludes a first rotatable member configured to rotate independently ofthe first elongate member, and the second connector includes a secondrotatable member configured to rotate independently of the secondelongate member.
 2. The bubble wand of claim 1, wherein one end of thefirst rotatable member is attached to the one or more strings andanother end of the first rotatable member is attached to the firstelongate member, and one end of the second rotatable member is attachedto the one or more strings and another end of the second rotatablemember is attached to the second elongate member.
 3. The bubble wand ofclaim 1, wherein each rotatable member comprises a ball swivel.
 4. Thebubble wand of claim 1, wherein the one or more strings are configuredto rotate independently of the first elongate member and the secondelongate member.
 5. The bubble wand of claim 1, wherein the one or morestrings comprise a first string and a second string longer than thefirst string; one end of the first string is attached to the firstconnector and another end of the first string is attached to the secondconnector; and one end of the second string is attached to the firstconnector and another end of the second string is attached to the secondconnector.
 6. The bubble wand of claim 5, further comprising anadditional string connected to the first connector and the secondconnector, wherein the additional string has a length that is differentthan lengths of the first string and the second string.
 7. The bubblewand of claim 5, wherein the one or more strings includes one or morecross-strings between the first string and the second string and thatform a plurality of loops.
 8. A bubble wand, comprising: a firstelongate member and a second elongate member; a first connector attachedto the first elongate member and a second connector attached to thesecond elongate member; and one or more strings attached to the firstconnector and the second connector and forming a loop; wherein the firstconnector includes a first rotatable member that rotates independentlyof the first elongate member.
 9. The bubble wand of claim 8, wherein thesecond connector is non-rotatably fixed to the second elongate member.10. The bubble wand of claim 8, wherein the first connector includes afirst end attached to an end tip of the first elongate member and asecond end attached to the one or more strings, and one of the first endand the second end rotates relative to the other of the first end andthe second end.
 11. The bubble wand of claim 8, wherein the firstconnector comprises one of a fishing swivel and a ball swivel.
 12. Thebubble wand of claim 8, wherein the first connector comprises: an eyehook fixedly attached to an end tip of the first elongate member; and afirst rotatable member rotatably attached to the eye hook.
 13. Thebubble wand of claim 8, wherein the first connector is removable from atleast one of the first elongate member and the one or more strings. 14.The bubble wand of claim 13, wherein the first connector includes alobster claw clasp.
 15. The bubble wand of claim 8, wherein the firstconnector includes a ring member at one end, and the one or more stringsare attached to the ring member.
 16. The bubble wand of claim 8, whereinthe first rotatable member rotates 360° independently of the firstelongate member.
 17. The bubble wand of claim 8, wherein the firstelongate member comprises acrylic resin.
 18. A bubble wand, comprising:a pair of elongate members; a pair of connectors attached the pair ofelongate members, each connector comprising an eye hook fixedly attachedto an end tip of one of the elongate members, a rotatable memberrotatably attached to the eye hook and configured to be removed from theeye hook, and a ring member attached to the rotatable member; and one ormore strings connected to each ring member of each connector and formingone or more loops between the pair of elongate members.
 19. The bubblewand of claim 18, wherein the rotatable member comprises a fishingswivel.
 20. The bubble wand of claim 18, wherein the one or more stringsrotate with the rotatable member independently of rotation of theelongate members.